Pune, Jan 18: Waheeda Rehman, an embodiment of classic Indian beauty with a truly transcendental appeal received the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Pune International Film Festival.
Waheeda is one of the most respected and dignified actresses to grace Indian cinema, finally accepted the award on Sunday evening.
Information and Broadcasting Minister S. Jaipal Reddy and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh presented the awards at the E-Square multiplex.
Shakti Samanta, movie director who pioneered thriller, romantic and literary genres in post-Independence Indian cinema, was the other recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Waheeda, who personified grace, simplicity and character in unforgettable films like Pyaasa , Kaagaz Ke Phool , Guide and Teesri Kasam put it all down to destiny and God. "Things just happened to me," she said.
Despite her Muslim background, she insisted on learning Bharat Natyam. Pictures of her Bharat Natyam performance splashed across newspapers. Then she was spotted by the Telugu film industry and eventually by top directors like Satyajit Ray and Guru Dutt.
Waheeda Rehman was born on May 14th 1936 in Hyderabad. Her father,a DM was posted all over the South.She was a Tamillian by birth and made her debut at the age of 13 in a Telegu film,Rojulu Marayi.She was trained in Bharatnatyam and as such did a dance number in that film.It was here that Guru Dutt spotted her and took her in CID and Pyasa.She lost her father at the early age of 12 and within fews years of joining hindi films she lost her mother too.
After Pyasa Waheeda did Kagaz Ke Phool, Chaudhvi Ka Chand, Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam and became a part of Guru Dutt's creative team.After 1962 she started ventures outside Guru Dutt banners.After Bees Saal Baad she signed films opposite Raj Kapoor(Teesri Kasam) and Dilip Kumar.
Introducing her, festival director Jabbar Patel repeated what Ray once said about her. "Everyone is born for something. This girl was born for the camera." Waheeda, nevertheless, made the surprising confession that she used to think of herself as an ugly duckling.
Bureau Report
